Divinity: Transcendence: Book Two (The Divinity Saga) (39 page)

He knew the r
ules; the dark ones were bound by them in the human realm too. We couldn’t reveal anything questionable to the human world either.

This was a crowded club.

He wanted me to wield my blades.

Little did he kn
ow…that I couldn’t. I could certainly torch his ass though. In fact, that may be my only recourse.

The auras
of several more large fallen were coming towards us. It wasn’t the light of the angels that were interspersed among the club goers, but other jagged and mixed up auras; a splatter of all the colors of the fallen. It was eerie. Demons, made to look like— us? Or some dark version of us as divine warriors? They all had brandings too…black brandings.

             
Shit!

             
Lira gripped my hand firmly behind me.

Mobs of fallen
were closing in on us, and so were Spencer, Durien and all the others in their wake. I had to think of something.

This fallen was
extremely powerful and extremely wicked. He held my gaze, nearly putting me into a deadly trance with his eyes. I felt in control again when he broke his concentration, snapping his head to the left and snarling. He held a hand up to halt his converging posse from closing in on us too.

Then he grinned.
“Looks like we’ll just have to smoke them all out.” He said.

He snapped his fingers loudly, and just like that, the entire club was drap
ed in pitch darkness. The heavy bass beat of the music continued to play on loudly, adding to the melee, chaos, and screams of panic that began to erupt from all over. That’s when the rushing stampede to get out of the club, began.

“Don’t let go of my hand!”
I yelled at Lira over my shoulder. I forced my way through the packed craziness, using auras as lights and guides. I had to loosen my grip on Lira’s hand, hearing her squeal and attempt to loosen my fingers. I wasn’t going to let go of her. If something happened to her, I’d never forgive myself. It would be all my fault.

Though I could see
in the dark, the crazy blurs of colored auras had me confused. I knew which ones to avoid; I guess I was just shocked at just how many fallen and dark beings were actually in here right now. There was no way we were going to make it to the exit.              People were cursing, shoving, and screaming in a panicked riot to get out. I had a hunch that not all of the screaming had been because pitch darkness had suddenly dropped like a heavy curtain.             

              It was getting hot, stifling even. I could see the bright lights of angel auras, shifting about like spastic search beams. The fact that they were here was a good thing, right?

I temporarily let go of Lira’s hand
in a quick attempt to wield my blades.

“Starling! Do not go outside!
Stay put!” I heard what sounded like Durien shouting amid the noise. He sounded so far away. Did he say not to go outside? Why? I searched frantically for him but it was pointless.

I assumed
it was because that’s what that fallen wanted me to do. That was what he meant by smoking us out. In here, there were too many eyes.

I had to get
us to a secluded spot, so I could break a white portal gem that led back to the divine hall, to ensure that  Lira was safe.

I
reached for Lira’s hand once again, then turned to look behind me; in order to tell her about my plan. I pulled her close so I wouldn’t have to yell. Instead…I wanted to scream. The face that was looking up at me— wasn’t Lira.

I
paled. Chilled sweat immediately broke out on my face.

A
midget-sized, horned creature, with large glowing, ember orange eyes, snickered and laughed out loud at me in ridicule. Its hand morphed back into a three-toed hoof, having felt…human, just a moment ago.

I dropped its vile hoof
as if it were on fire. Out of disgust and reflex, I brought my foot up and kicked it square in its ugly face. The power and force behind my kick surprised me. The nasty creature grunted and squealed, as it flew upwards and over the crowd in a tumbling, jumble of deformed limbs and wings, like a cannonball with hands and legs.

What happened to Lira? I
just had her with me…I know I did! I had her by the hand…what? How? When?

When I t
ried to wield my blades, that’s when. Damn, I was an idiot!

God no, please!

My stomach fell to the floor like a lead brick. She could be anywhere, if she were even still in here…and alive.

XXII: Cam`ael

R
y was pumped and ready to fight. Both he and Mac joined my pursuit of making a beeline straight for Baal.

“There
are way too many people in here. Do not bring about a confrontation. That is what they want!” The petite, pink and silver haired female angel beside me warned.

No shit? Yeah, I kno
w that, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to stand around and watch Baal make a grab for Starling either.

“
You’re talking to the wrong damned demon! Unless you want an early fucking Armageddon in the next few seconds, you guys had better get together quickly and decide what you’re going to do, now!” I growled at her.

I
kept my pace, passing her up when she stopped and stared after me, panning the crowd. Then I heard her begin to recite verses.

If she was trying to stop or banish me, she’d have a hell of a resistant fight on her hands.

Seeing a demon…go demon, was never a pleasant event. The body count was usually off the charts in the aftermath too.

I never slowed my stride
or broke my focus on Baal.  My fists were clenching and unclenching. The prickling heat of both white and black lightning, crackled between my fingers and knuckles as my fury continued to build. I pushed forth power into the crowd, which made them part, so that me, Ry, Rahab, Mac, and Nay could move through with ease, unbeknownst to them.

Edanai
cloaked herself; moving swiftly around the perimeter of the dark divines that had arrived about the same time that Baal did. Coincidence? No. This was an orchestrated move. They had no idea that Starling would be here before hand. Apparently, they’ve been scanning both the mortal and spirit realm for her since she died, much like I did. That explains why Morning Star sent one of his top arch demons this time.

Edanai was
surreptitiously throwing curses and magic at the dark divines, to either knock them out, or to render them temporarily paralyzed. I didn’t even ask if she needed backup or support. She had other female demonesses that she must have called out to, and now there were several from our legion assisting her amid the confusion, and mounting defensive battle.

“Take the girl behind her and keep her safe. She’ll be a bargaining tool if Baal gets a hold of her first.” I urged Ry
.

Ry stealthily s
lipped forward, and was nothing more than a cloaked blur. Just as Starling let go of her hand; he quickly grabbed the girl from behind with a hand over her mouth, so she wouldn’t scream or call for Starling. The girl didn’t even realize what just happened.

I didn’t have
time to deal with the annoying imp that was already slinking in behind Starling; where the girl had just been. It was harmless.

Ry
swiftly shuffled the young girl towards Durien.

He
already knew what we were doing, purposefully keeping the seraphim away from us in the interim. The female warrior, who had been staring at me earlier, came rushing forward to grab the girl that Ry thrust towards Durien.

I wasn’t ready
for Starling to see me just yet… because I couldn’t predict her move or reaction to me.

Within a blink, time
suddenly froze.

Pieces of the human realm beg
an to break away, opening slices and fractures of ethereal light that was the spirit realm. It only took a span of five seconds for the chaotic darkness of the nightclub to drop away like a canvas, leaving us in the middle of the neutral zone. It was a wide, open landscape of nothing but gray and brown packed dirt. The earth was split with cracks and fissures of acidic magma flowing through it, like fiery veins.

I didn’t think
the angels would do this. Though I hated it, I was grateful that they had chosen this instead of banishing me. They had pulled all of us supernatural and immortal beings out of the human realm simultaneously, with the exception of themselves. Of course, because they couldn’t interfere…which pissed me off.

Now that we were
all in the spirit realm, there were no rules in the fight between the divine warriors and supernatural beings. Starling was in danger if they didn’t throw a portal to get her out of here now. Though all I wanted to do was to grab and protect her, I didn’t even have a chance to search for her.

B
aal needed to be eradicated first.

There were shouts
, clashing and grating of metal, flashes of bright lights, and then—the fight was on. The divine warriors had already wielded their weapons.

The dark divines appeared cocky.
Morning Star had given each of them a piece of his essence and black magic. That was a deadly combination, but at least it may keep the seraphim busy. I didn’t have time to pay attention to them, let alone help. Baal was just as hungry to spill my blood as I was to drive my sword between his hellion eyes.

Ry, Mac, Nay, and
Rahab, didn’t need another moment of words or hesitation. Ry was a maniac fighter. In a blur, two of the demons that Baal had arrived with, had been decapitated in his war cry.

“Help the warriors when you guys are done, but be cautious
and wary! Watch the earthbound Seraphim, don’t kill him.”
I shouted telepathically to Ry.

“
Damn, I wished he’d brought more of those sorry assed excuses for demons with him. That was too fucking easy!”
Ry teased with victorious laughter.

As if
on cue, a flock of fallen began to swarm in overhead. I knew exactly why they were coming, and what was drawing them here.

It wasn’t
to fight…it was to take.

I targeted Baal’s insidious face. Black rage and fury churned
like a storm inside of me. Atiro had just arrived, wildly swinging his two, double-edged, swords, which cut down two fallen in mid descent with ease.

However, I
was in an unfavorable position. I couldn’t allow Starling to be at risk, because she wasn’t trained yet. This would be the only time I hoped, that the seraphim did everything possible to protect her.

“
I’ve been waiting for this day Cam`ael. I get to kill and devour you in front of your love, and then take her with me as a gift for him. Oh wait, I won’t have to. She may just to kill you first!”
Baal’s spiteful words and scathing, hate-filled laughter assaulted my mind.

I clenched my teeth in fury. Light surfaced
into my fist, swirling wildly as I wielded my blade. It was forbidden to kill Morning Star right now, but I could certainly obliterate Baal at any time.

That
time would be today.

I gripped the blade of my sword, infusing the light energy that had been curling around my fist into its metal body. It began to shimmer, glowing white
hot with power. In a flash, my own war cry propelled my wrath. I was on Baal, swinging low and quick, though he managed to block my attack.

He released a poisonous, black vapor that wafted around me like fog, attempting to cloud my vision and
disorient me. I leapt into the air, and into an arching back flip, releasing my wings. Baal had done the same. He could only kill me by his weapon. We were both of darkness. His magic would be pointless against me, though it was still strong enough to slow me down a little.

In a roar, he charged me,
but I was ready. His wicked, spiked flail, whipped in a blur right past my head, missing my wing by mere inches. I spun in mid-air, swiftly recovering to come down again with my sword. Again, he blocked it, but I managed to throw a small crackle of light in the form of lighting towards his face. He dove to the right to dodge, but not fast enough before it took off his ear.

He
howled in pain. His injury morphed into violent rage. In the next instant, his flesh veneer melted away to reveal his true form, which was nothing more than the visage of pestilent death. His massive jaw of a thousand venomous teeth hung agape, ready to tear into my flesh.

“Bring it bitches
!” Ry bellowed aloud, as he, Mac, Nay, Rahab, and Atiro; all flew into the fallen swarm with weapons drawn.

             
              In my split second distraction, Baal charged me. I pitted my blade between the two of us as he shot forward, burying his razor sharp teeth deep into my bicep. I had gotten lucky; it was my throat he lunged for.